Primal Mode
by Farley Maverick
Summary: Quinn has very rotten luck. She has just unknowingly become a stowaway on a famous psychopathic killer's ship. And who is this killer? Someone by the name of Richard B. Riddick... Rated T for language
1. Just my luck

Primal Mode

Disclaimer: I don't own the Chronicles of Riddick. :tear: But, I do own Quinn. :huggles: She's mine, and you can't have her! I also own the plot.

If you have a problem with the story, or the way the characters are, don't read my fanfic, mmkay? I don't want any flamers telling me that Riddick shouldn't act like that, or that Quinn should be like this. I do like constructive criticism, though. Just maybe sugar it down a bit… -; This is my first CoR fanfic, so bear with me!

Chapter One

Quinn breathed silently, keeping her knees up to her chest. The slightest movement could be disastrous… She tried to think of what had happened earlier, to keep her mind off of trying to be still….

:-:

"Did you see that guy who came in here earlier and got those boxes of provisions?" asked one man in the café Quinn was in.

"Yeah, yeah. He kind of looked like that Riddick guy: bald head and welding goggles. You know, the one who's supposed to be a psychopathic killer? I heard he's around this area. The first one to escape from a triple max prison," remarked another man.

"That's pretty scary, isn't it? To think, he could be right around the corner. But then again, he probably couldn't stay in one place for very long, or someone would recognize him."

After the men had finished their conversation, Quinn had left the café and sneaked on the first ship she saw. She would have preferred to have just bought her way onto a ship, but she was broke; she spent her last cent on food for the trip. Everything she owned was in a small bag slung over one shoulder….

:-:

Quinn was awoken from her reverie by the sound of the door opening. Her whole body became rigid, and she only breathed when absolutely necessary. A bald man with welding goggles stepped on, followed by a man with more boxes. Quinn fought the panic that threatened to come over her. _That's Riddick. Yep, with my luck, that's the mass murderer everyone's talking about. Well done, Quinn. Well done…_

The man set the boxes down in the opposite corner from where Quinn was hiding. "So, how long will you be traveling, Mister…"

"Smith," Riddick replied. His voice sent chills up her spine, and she shuddered involuntarily.

"Right, Mr. Smith."

"Probably a few weeks, at least," Riddick said nonchalantly.

_A few weeks? A FEW WEEKS? I can't hide for a few weeks! A girl has to eat, drink, and use the bathroom every once in a while! Perfect…_

A moment later, the ship's door closed with a sickening irrevocability. That was it; Quinn was now on this ship with Richard B. Riddick, probably the most feared man in the whole 'verse, for at least a few weeks. _He's going to kill me. I know it… I just hope he'll kill me fast. Someone else's blood doesn't make me queasy, but mine sure does. Wait! I have a shiv tied to my thigh! But wait, he's Riddick, mass murderer. I'm Quinn, twenty-one-year-old underground… What was that?_

Footsteps came closer and closer, until she saw the back of Riddick's head. He was looking around for something… She saw a flash of his silvered eyes, and then she saw and felt nothing, for pure terror had knocked her unconscious.


	2. Vanilla

Disclaimer: Check chapter one, silly!

Chapter 2

"Ugh…" she moaned, rolling over in the bed. _Wait… bed? Shouldn't I be dead or something?_

With a deep breath, she opened one eye slightly. It looked like a simple room, and there was no one inside besides her, so she felt it was safe to get up. Her eyes flitted around until she found the bathroom.

"Perfect…" she murmured, practically falling out of the bed. Why did her head hurt so badly? When she finally reached the bathroom, she peered at her reflection in the mirror. Her hair was a mess; she quickly plaited it back into a loose braid down her back. Her long-sleeved shirt was too big and hung off one shoulder. She attempted to pull it back to it's correct position.

Then, as she heard a noise, instinctively made sure her shiv was still strapped to her leg. _Yep, still there… Where the hell am I, and where's Riddick?_ Quinn became much more alert as she slowly opened the door to her room. She looked to the right; there was no one down the dark, narrow hall. She looked to the left—

"Awake, I see," came the same low voice.

Quinn yelped with surprise; Riddick had been standing outside her door the entire time. His silvered eyes peered at her, but she was unable to discern the emotion behind them.

She sized him up, looking him up and down._. You have quite a killer on your hands, Quinn…_

A smirk played at the corner of Riddick's mouth. "What are you doing on my ship?"

"Well, I didn't have any money to barter passage anywhere else. So I just snuck on one. I didn't know this was yours…" Quinn replied, her voice a bit shaky, and her head throbbing painfully. Now her turn for a question. She moved over to the opposite side of the hall from Riddick and leaned against it. "Why didn't you kill me when you found me?"

A shiv suddenly appeared in Riddick's hand. "Would you like me to kill you? It's not too late…" He inched closer to her, until she could feel his breath on her neck, making her shudder. He breathed in her scent. She smelled like vanilla…

"Um, n-no, I just thought, I mean, with your reputation…" Quinn stuttered. _Damn it, why can't I think straight? _She put a hand on his chest and pushed him away. He backed up, but it was of his own power, not hers.

"Well, there's no point in killing you if I can find something for you to do on the ship," Riddick said simply. His turn for a question. "Who are you?"

"Quinn." That's all she was going to tell him. She turned away, trying to go back into her room. Riddick made a move to grab her arm, but Quinn flinched, causing the man to take a hold of her sleeve. It fell off her shoulder, revealing an ugly burn mark in the shape of an "X". It was obvious someone had done it on purpose… His eyes met hers, asking a silent question. She glared at him, yanked her arm away, and slammed the door.

A/N: Please R&R! Tell me what you think of the story so far. And of Quinn. (:


	3. Becoming Attached

Disclaimer: See Chapter one.

Chapter Three

Riddick was very curious as to whom he was sharing this ship with, but the computers had been down, so he couldn't find her file and she wouldn't tell her anything. He had to admit, he like the whole mysteriousness of the woman and he was becoming more and more attracted to her as time went on (though he would never admit that). But, he reminded himself, getting attached can be dangerous…

Finally, on the seventh day of their journey, Riddick got his chance. He had just fixed the computers, and Quinn was taking a shower. Riddick sat down in the pilot's chair, now realizing this was his only chance. He didn't want to find her file while she was near him, and she took quick showers.

He typed in her name, and pulled up her photo. She really was a gorgeous girl: shining mahogany hair, slightly tanned skin, and, oddly enough, silver eyes with flecks of lavender. Riddick read the words underneath her picture:

_Name: Harley Quinn Winchester (Quinn)_

_Age: 21_

_Height: 5'6"_

_Weight: 115 lbs._

_Occupation: underground fighter_

_Fighting name: Harlequin_

_Arrested: June 14, 5612_

_Sent to: Butcher Bay_

_Bounty: 130,000 credits_

_Dead or Alive: Alive_

_Quinn Winchester, daughter of famous president of Winchester Industries, was convicted of killing at least fifteen men in the underground fighting circuit. She was sent to Butcher Bay on June 17, 5612, and escaped a few months later. She was last seen on September 27, 5612. An "X" is burned into her left bicep, as well as the tattoo of a diamond on her lower back._

Riddick gave a low whistle. "So that's Harlequin… I've heard of her." He was quite impressed. Butcher Bay? She was sent there a few weeks after he had escaped. "She's been on the run for a little over a year…"His sharp ears picked up several thuds in quick succession. "The punching bag?" he wondered aloud. Leaving the pilot's chair, he walked down one of the halls.

:-:

Taped knuckles slammed into the punching bag, with the occasional kick. It was pitch black in the room, but Quinn could hear where the bag was. _No doubt Riddick's figured out who I am; the computers are fixed now… And he'll be asking me questions about the underground circuit, my dad, the… _She couldn't—She _wouldn't_ think about that.

:-:

Riddick watched Quinn make mincemeat of the punching bag. He had to admit, she was fast. And he had a feeling she was holding back. There was more than meets the eye to this girl… He opened the door as quietly as he could.

:-:

Quinn's knuckles were now bleeding, even with the tape. She fell to the ground with a thud and pounded the ground angrily, tears threatening to spill down her face. Suddenly, she heard the door open. "Riddick," she muttered, turning her back to him. "What do you want? To ask me questions?"

Riddick said nothing, but Quinn felt the air shift behind her. She swept her leg along the ground, and tripped up the man. He almost fell, but caught his balance at the last minute. He still said nothing, but sat across from her. Damn, she was gorgeous. Even though her hair was everywhere, most of it had fallen out of her braid. She was wearing nothing but a muscle shirt and a pair of short shorts. Her lithe, toned body was sweaty and shaking. He could still smell that vanilla. "Why did you become an underground fighter?" he asked softly.

Quinn cursed silently as the tears fell down her cheeks. _Damn you, Riddick… _"Why did I become a fighter?" she repeated, her voice shaky. "Because I couldn't help it! I had to fight! You think it was my choice? I had it all: men, money, beauty. Riddick, do you even know what Winchester Industries is?" All she could see were those silver, glowing eyes.

"No," he whispered.

"It's an experimental facility! They experiment on people! Like me! MY OWN FATHER EXPERIMENTED ON ME!" she screamed, sobbing at the same time. Riddick reached out, but she shrank back at his touch. "Don't touch me!" She sprinted out of the room, leaving Riddick in the dark.

"_Patient number 700234 is progressing rapidly. Her speed and agility are now surpassing the other patients. Her strength is already two times more than an average woman her size. She can now respond to several triggers, and has killed three men in approximately thirty seconds. When placed in a fighting ring, she automatically switches towhat we have named the'primal mode'."_

_Needles…prodding...stabbing…pain…needles…pain…stabbing…knives…prodding…pain…needles…knives…pain…_

Riddick frowned; she had been like this for at least two hourse.Quinn was panting and her entire body was covered in cold sweat. She kept muttering, "No, not the trigger. Please, Dad, don't make me go into the ring anymore… primal mode…" She screamed and sat up, shaking.

"Quinn, you're safe. You're here with me in the ship," Riddick said, touching her arm softly.

Quinn flinched at his touch, but didn't pull away. "I know, I know. I justget nightmares sometimes… nothing special."

"You were talking in your sleep, said something about 'primal mode,'" Riddick said, handing Quinn a cold glass of water.

She took it with a shaky hand. "Thanks." Quinn drank it thirstily. When she was done, she explained. "Primal mode… um, you see, when I'm in a fighting ring… I don't really know what happens… something comes alive inside me, and I turn into this… this fighting animal. I can think of nothing but blood, beating my opponent's head in, and just doing as much damage as possible." She lowered her head. "I just, I can't help it… I don't know what they did, but I can't stop it..." Tears spilled down her face again.

Riddick said nothing, but moved from his chair onto the edge of her bed.

_Was he watching over me the whole time? This psychopathic killer has a soft spot? He wants to protect me? Or he may just find me attractive. Or both... _Riddick pulled Quinn close to him, and wiped away her tears with his thumb. He breathed in that sweet vanilla scent and looked at the "X" on her arm.

As if she knew what he was thinking, she whispered, "Yeah, it hurt." And she fell asleep like that, wrapped safely in his arms.

If, by some miracle, Riddick hadn't become attached to Quinn up to this point, he sure as hell was now.

A/N: Aww… how cute! Lol. This may be the longest chapter yet, so you know what to do! (Psst: R&R!)


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